En lieu of a sermon by me on the evil of Big Ag and our poisoned food supply, here's a reflection on John 6 by an old friend. He's a retired Anglican priest and onetime Oxford Blue (pistol).
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44
This verse from the Gospel for today has me thinking about conversion. I believe passionately in the need for personal conversion. It is a personal choice to follow Jesus. It is a personal choice to accept his atoning sacrifice on the Cross for the sin of the whole world. It is a personal choice to serve God in this world. Nobody just drifts into the Kingdom of God. The verse above is clear; it is God who has taken the initiative.
That initiative of God is to “draw” a person to Christ. It is God the Holy Spirit who “draws” us to consider Jesus Christ as the Incarnate Son, the “perfect sacrifice for the sin of the whole world.” It is God who “draws” us. We are then personally called to respond. Sadly, most will go their own way. Remember the rich young man? “Jesus showed love to him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me. But he was deeply dismayed by these words, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.” (Mark 10:21-22)
I have experienced this “drawing” since I was young. I found that I wanted to be around people of faith. The Bible seemed always to speak to me. I loved worship in chapel at school. The Psalms and hymns spoke to me. I have always had a yearning to get closer to God. I believe I was being “drawn” and found ways to respond. That is even more so since I heard a clear call to the priesthood in 1967, at a Billy Graham Crusade in London. However, the “drawing” was, in retrospect, evident much earlier. In my opinion the key is how we respond. Do we say “yes” or do we turn away?
Conversion is a gift of Grace. As one who has found Jesus and the Gospel completely irresistible, I am amazed how many respond negatively to Jesus. Our sinfulness and need of God, our need of a savior, seem to me to be incontrovertible. At the end of John 6 we will read “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” (John 6:66) The twelve disciples did not reject Jesus, though one would go on to betray him.
Conversion is also a process of responding every day to God who “draws” us. As followers of Jesus, we are offered constantly, daily, the choice to follow or not to follow, Jesus.
I pray for people to follow Jesus. God is always calling – calling each of us, all of us. Come, follow me, says Jesus. May we all hear that call of God amidst the noise of this world.
In his irresistible love, Fr Ian
I was moved by that and hope you find it helpful,
LSP
It's a funny thing, conversion. I know more 'fanatical' Christians who are converts than 'Born Into' Christians.
ReplyDeleteThe 'Born Again' movement in Christianity addresses this very well. I also know more fanaticals that are 'born again' than just born into.
My mother, an Episcopalian by birth, converted to Catholicism finally in 1973 (she had to get her previous marriage annulled by the Vatican, even though it was a civil marriage that lasted about as long as a typical Hollyweird marriage with no offsprings.) She lost her way a bit, and became a member of Opus Dei (no, not the freaky ones in the stupid Dan Brown movies) and it restored her faith.
Me, born into it, kind of wavered as I got older, then more and more I 'born agained' myself into conservative Christianity. I can't recite scripture (duh, I'm a Catholic...) but I get the feel of it. I feel what I feel deep down inside. And it colors everything I see. It is a part of me, I am a part of it.
I put more effort into works than in going to Mass, due to family issues. My heart tells me this is good enough. Maybe I'll earn my way into Heaven like Constantine (from the movie, not the Byzantine emperor) and get a waiver for my failings (which, yes, I am working on.)
Beans, you're in good company. Conversion is a constant.
DeleteThank you.
ReplyDeleteBeans, born into it too and I'm not complaining.
ReplyDeleteSurely the conversion and salvation thing is an ongoing work of grace and personal effort.
In fear and trembling, eh?
In some respects, you, LSP, have had at least 1, maybe more, Born Again moments. One when you realized the Clergy was for you. Another when you realized that your understanding of God and serving God was becoming radically different and that you were going to follow your heart.
DeleteJust because you didn't go get dunked in some river or something doesn't mean you haven't had BA moments, what snobby people call an 'epiphany.'
Glad to oblige, Gen X
ReplyDeleteI was moved by my old friend's reflection. He's an evangelical Anglican with a love of the Dominicans! Huh. A good man and great shot.